A Tale of Three Elves
by VictoireAgathon
Summary: The adventures of the twin sons of Elrond and Legolas of Mirkwood during their youths and through out the third age. Possibly AU as nothing is written about these characters during that time. Please R
1. Prologue

A/N: This story takes place in TA 652. In this story, Elladan and Elrohir were born in TA 139 and are 513 years old (their birth year is the same as in the books). Since Legolas' birth year is never told I have set it at TA 288, which would make him 364 years old. For my story, elves reach adolescence at age fifty and are teenagers until around 300-500 years. So going off of this, in my story Legolas is the equivalent of 18 and the twins are around 23.

**A Tale of Three Elves**

He found him in a grey corner of the cave. His hands bleeding, his feet broken and his back, like his soul cut to pieces. As Elladan drew near the crumpled form he suppressed a gasp as he saw the tears of crimson that leaked from the young elf's eyes. The skin around the young one's eyes was raw and puffy and next to each eye was an unnaturally white scar in the shape of a leaf.

Elladan had seen this mark before and it pained him that one so young and so merry had endured such depravity. The scars gave Elladan the identities of the ones who had hurt the young _ernil_ of Mirkwood. He had seen other elves who had met this foe and, they too, had borne the mark of a leaf seared into their fair skin. The men who had done this were of a race far lesser than the great _Dúnedain_. They were born out of a foul, heathen group of marauders who came from the south. They lived in deserts but had begun to come north as the _Haradrim _had forced them from their lands. They bore no name anymore and had become too foul to be called by their ancestors name and so they had earned the name _Harnûm_ which meant 'southern-evil' in _Sindarin_.

Elladan prayed to _Erû_ that the _Harnûm_ who had found the prince were not as barbaric as those he had heard of. They were known to torture their victims using metal instruments carved into horrific spikes and points and dipped in a foul poison that caused agonizing pain yet did not kill. Many also dipped these accursed tools in blue flame which increased the agony of their victim. It seemed that they had tortured this young one's eyes with heat and flame. The breaking of bones, searing of flesh, and mutilating of the body and soul were the torture methods of the _Harnûm_.

Elladan was pulled to his senses when his dear brother, so similar to him in voice and appearance, gave a quiet gasp as he entered the room. Even in fear, Elrohir's voice was as fair as his being, as it was with all elves, especially that of his kin.

Elladan drew close to the wretched elf and when his twin came to his side he spoke at last, "my dear brother, we must hasten in our return to _Imladris_ or I fear _Ada_ will be able to do little for our fair friend."

With a quick nod, Elrohir carefully wrapped the injured elf in a blanket he had taken from his pack and lifted him into his arms, careful not to cause him more pain then need be. The elf moaned in protest at being picked up but this did not slow down his rescuer. Indeed, it made him hasten to leave the sordid cave and get back to his fair home.

"He is fading, my brother, we must not tarry," Elrohir said as he mounted his horse.

Heeding his brother's warning, Elladan got his horse to a gallop as he led the way through the forests surrounding _The Last Homely House west of the Mountains_ as Elrohir followed up behind with Legolas safely in his arms.

TBC…

A/N: Sorry if I made any mistakes in either the content or any grammar mistakes. If you find any please let me know so that I can fix them. Criticism is welcomed as it will improve my writing.

Should I continue?


	2. Chapter 1: Healers

A/N: Thank-you to all who reviewed. Well here it goes. . .

**A Tale of Three Elves**

**Chapter 1: Healers**

Against the sounds of the forest, the thundering gallop of two horses was enough to make anyone who happened to see them halt their activity and look their way. It had been a long while since anyone had seen the twin sons of Lord Elrond ride so fast through the treacherous terrain of the forest. But ride they did, for the hour was grim and Legolas needed the healing powers of their father.

"Ada…" the young elf whispered into the warm clothe of Elrohir's green jerkin, "Ada! Ai, help me, please! _Saes_!"

"Quiet, _penneth_, you are safe from them, they may no longer hurt you. You are safe _ernil nîn_."

Elrohir's comforting did little to calm the prince and as the wind howled in the grey mists of the darkness a strangled sob rang out into the night.

"Ada . . ."

In the quiet, peaceful halls of _Imladris_, Elrond looked out upon the forests that encircled his halls. To the northwest a fog was descending from the _Hithaeglir_. The air was stagnant and carried the scent of the approaching storm. The foothills of the Misty Mountains grew deathly quiet and the trees stood still as though, they too, felt the coming storm.

It was like this for some time until the wind blew across the trees and through the elven halls. The few elves that were still awake and wandering around vanished into their homes. Elrond turned and as he untied the thongs that held back his curtains, he halted and turned his head towards the grey peaks.

The sound of a horn sung out again, barely discernable through the howling wind. Elrond knew that horn as well as he knew his halls.

_Elladan_

The horn that he had given the eldest of his twin sons had been his when he had fought on the slopes of _Orodruin_ as the herald of Gil-Galad. The last he had seen of his sons was the night before they left to run with the Dúnedain Rangers of the North as they frequently did. That had been two months ago.

The horn's melodic timbre cut through the wind once again and Elrond wasted no time.

Running from the room, he grabbed a startled Glorfindel from outside the Balrog Slayer's chambers. A look of realization came over the blond haired elf's face as he recalled the owner of the horn that was blowing.

The lord of _Imladris_ and his seneschal raced down to the courtyard and arrived just as Elladan and Elrohir entered through the gates of Rivendell with an elf sized figure wrapped in a cloak held securely in Elrohir's arms.

Elladan gave a nod to his father and slid of his horse and took Legolas from his brother's arms so that he may dismount and also that their father could see to Legolas' wounds.

"_Adar_, quickly, we must get him to the healing halls for he is grievously wounded. Elrohir and I found him in a cave high in the _Hithaeglir_. We brought him here as fast as we dared, given the gravity of his wounds."

"_Ion nîn,_ who is he?"

"He is the Legolas of Mirkwood."

Elrond paused as he digested this latest news.

"_Ada,_ we must not wait," Elrohir pleaded with his father, "His strength, the little that is yet remaining, grows dim. I fear that he shall not last the night."

Elrond began walking in the direction of the healing halls and motioned for Glorfindel and his sons to follow, Elladan still carrying the now unconscious prince. Quickly the five elves made their way through the fine halls of _Imladris_. In no time they had arrived at their destination which lay dormant with the exception of a stable boy who had been thrown from a horse and now sported a heavily bruised rear end and a broken wrist from his fall.

Elrond led his companions to a room near the back where he treats his patients when they first came in.

"Elladan, what has happened to him?" spoke Glorfindel to the young elves, "How did you happen upon this cave you spoke earlier of?"

"We were with the rangers to the north tracking a party of what we thought were orcs. We followed them into the mountains for three days before we lost their trail."

Elrohir continued, "But by that time we had gotten a feeling that these 'orcs' were far from that."

Glorfindel gave Elrond a knowing look at the twins account. _If it is not the orcs than what may they be?_ Then a disturbingly lurid thought came to the warrior's mind. _Perhaps it was the Harnûm. The cursed sons of bastards and curs, may death be on swift winds to find them. _As soon as the thought came to mind he shivered.

"Elladan, do you have any ideas as to what it was?"

"More than an idea, _hîr nín._ It was without a doubt the _Harnûm."_

The older men glanced at each other then Glorfindel took Elladan aside as Elrond began to inspect the unconscious elf. "Elladan, tell me everything you know."

"We found the cave by following some tracks that were not orc tracks, they were from a man. We knew it could not be any of the rangers because they do not often leave tracks and we knew of no settlements nearby and there were too many tracks for it to be a traveler. Then, when we found the cave, we . . . well, we just knew . . . for sure . . .," Elladan trailed off and hung his head down. For so strong of a warrior it was unnatural to see him so silent and somber.

"Glorfindel, he is correct in his assumption, it was the _Harnûm_ who did this to Legolas," Elrond's voice was full of sadness. "Who did this is not quite as important, though, as keeping Legolas out of the Halls of Mandos. Glorfindel, I need you to get some water. Elrohir, I want you to get my healing supplies from my chamber, go quickly, time is of the essence."

Once his seneschal and younger son had gone on their short missions, Elrond looked to his oldest child. _Elladan is particularly close with the prince,_ he thought sadly._ The _Harnûm_ are known for their brutality, Legolas will need my son soon. That is if I can save him. _

"Elladan," began the lord.

"Yes, _ada_?"

"I want you to keep Legolas calm, should he awake. I will need your help as well Elrohir's. I want you to do exactly as I say and do not hesitate. If I ask you to knock him unconscious you will do so . . . but gently. When Glorfindel and your brother get back we shall begin."

_Where is that _ellon_? Elrohir has never been one for arriving on time. Neither was I, when I was his age,_ he reminded himself.

His seneschal arrived back with the warm water and not a second later his son entered the room breathing hard with exertion.

"Glorfindel, my thanks," he said to the blonde elf. "Elrohir, I will need your assistance," his son nodded, "do as I say and do not second guess my orders."

With his younger son, Elrond need not elaborate. Elrohir had always been more willing to do as his father commanded than his elder twin. But that was not to say that he hadn't ever gotten in trouble before. When they were elflings they were always getting into trouble for their mischievous ways. It had gotten better as they aged, but as the incidents grew less common the ones that did occur were much more intelligent and sneaky.

"Let us begin."

Elrond and his sons worked well into the morning as they treated each of the princes many wounds. His back was covered in bleeding welts from a whip and the red lines extended down, covering his behind and the tops of his thighs. More than a few were infected and needed to be drained. The blonde elf's chest was decorated in a rainbow of colors showing the varying ages of the bruises that marred the otherwise perfect skin. The damaged skin was stretched tight over the elf's abused ribcage that contained more than a few broken or cracked bones. The skin over the center of his chest was particularly painful looking as it told the healers of the trauma to which their patient's sternum had been subject to.

Further investigation of the wounds led Elrond to discover a dislocated right shoulder and sprained muscles surrounding the offending area. A sight more painful for the eyes then in actuality was the torn up skin of the young elf's fingers. Though it was just minor lacerations and broken phalanges and metacarpals, the bruised and bloody extremities made it look worse than it was. _An excellent archer he shall remain,_ thought Elrond as he cleaned off the blood.

The three nearly identical healers put a healing poultice on the archer's back and carefully wrapped the damaged ribs and shoulder. Elrond braced the valuable fingers and set the broken bones in the left ankle.

Other than the injury to the joint, the prince's legs remained unmarred except by the occasional bruise or cut that stood strongly against the porcelain skin.

Cleaning off his hands, Elrond turned to his sons, "His eyes are all that is left to treat and you two may retire and clean-up until I have finished cleansing them."

"_Ada_ . . . we want t-,"

"No," Elrond's voice carried no hope for deviation and his sons washed their hands in silence. "You may return after rest and food. He will be fine until then and if anything happens you have my word that I you will be notified."

After the twins had left, Elrond began clean the irritated skin surrounding the young one's eyes. After clearing away the blood, grime, and burnt skin Elrond cleansed the skin with healing water and then wrapped them after coating the damaged flesh with crushed herbs to encourage healing. _If I can keep infection from getting in, and keep them protected from damaging sunlight his vision should be fine. But for the burns beside his eyes only time will erase. _

When Elrond had finished in the healing halls he had left to make sure his sons had done as directed. The twins' rooms were nestled in the northern part of Elrond's home. Glorfindel's quarters were near the twins and as Elrond walked by he saw the Balrog slayer quietly reading at his desk. Passing by his seneschal's room he entered the quiet rooms of his sons.

Their sleeping chambers were empty and Elrond grew worried that they had not obeyed his orders. But soon enough he found them out on their balcony. They were sitting side by side on a carved wood bench leaning into each other. Their hair was only loosely held back and without their customary warrior braids. The sight of his two grown sons seeking solace in each other warmed Elrond's heart and he left without a word returning to his own quarters and the welcome embrace of his wife.

TBC…

**Translations:**

_Saes_ 'please'

_Penneth _'little one'

_Ernil nîn_ 'my prince'

_Hithaeglir _'misty mountains'

_Orodruin_ 'mount doom'

_Adar_ 'father'

_Ion nîn_ 'my son'

_Hîr nín_ 'my lord'

A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed, it is greatly appreciated. How is it going? Please let me know if you have any complaints, spotted errors, or have some suggestion, etc. Future chapters will have some angst but will eventually just be the adventures of the twins and Legolas. Thank you! Please Review!


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